As the game of basketball has increased in popularity, a greater number of people have purchased basketball systems for use at their homes. Such basketball systems typically include a standard to which a backboard and a goal are secured so that the goal is suspended above a playing surface. Although some basketball systems are permanently mounted into the ground near the home, or to the home itself, portable basketball systems are increasingly used. The advantages of portable basketball systems relative to permanently installed systems in general, and the relative merits of different portable basketball systems in particular, are discussed in patent applications Ser. No. 08/100,054 and 08/191,339, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,140; those discussions are incorporated herein by reference.
In either a portable or a permanently installed basketball system, it may be desirable to adjust the height of the goal above the playing surface. For instance, the basketball system may be used by relatively tall players for some games and by shorter players during other games. The basketball system may be used at different times by players of different strengths or skill levels. The basketball system may also be used for regulation play at one time and for "dunking practice" at another time.
One approach to facilitating height adjustment of basketball goals involves clamping the backboard to the pole with one or more U-shaped bolts which are drawn against the pole by nuts threaded onto the ends of the bolts. By loosening the nuts, sliding the backboard along the pole, and re-tightening the nuts, one may alter the height of the goal. U-bolts are mechanically simple and therefore easy to manufacture and maintain.
However, bolting the backboard to the pole with U-bolts has several disadvantages when the time comes to adjust the goal's height. A wrench of the proper size is required to loosen and tighten the nuts. The bolt threads in outdoor systems may be exposed to deterioration from weathering. The bolts sliding along the pole tend to scratch the surface of the pole, marring its appearance and increasing its vulnerability to rust. Once the nuts are loosened, it may also be difficult to position the backboard at desired height. Two or more people may be required: one to loosen and then tighten the nuts, and a second to move the backboard and then hold it in the desired position.
Another approach to basketball goal height adjustment includes positioning a set bolt in a threaded hole in an outer length of pole, and positioning an inner length of pole telescopically within the outer length of pole. When the set bolt is tightened, the end of the set bolt presses against the outer surface of the inner length of pole.
Like U-bolts, set bolt adjustment systems are mechanically simple. However, the set bolt approach also has several disadvantages. The threads on the set bolt may be damaged, or the set bolt may scratch the inner length of pole, particularly where the end of the set bolt is forced against the inner length of pole to hold the goal at a particular height. If the inner pole slips against the set bolt, the set bolt may create a long scratch in the inner pole's surface.
A somewhat similar approach includes positioning one or more retaining pins through holes placed in both the inner and outer lengths of a telescoping pole. Because the pin goes through the inner pole length rather than resting against the outside surface of the inner pole, the risk of marring the inner pole is greatly reduced. Retaining pins, and cotter pins for securing them, are mechanically simple.
However, once they are removed, the retaining pin and the cotter pin are loose pieces which may easily be lost. Pliers or other supplemental tools may also be needed to remove or replace the cotter pin. Moreover, the protruding pins may create a risk of injury to players or basketballs.
Another method for adjusting the height of a telescoping pole is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,092 issued to Aakre et al. A threaded extension shaft is connected via gears to a crankshaft having a handle. Rotation of the handle turns the gears, which turn the threaded extension shaft, thereby extending or retracting a portion of the basketball pole. In addition to its complexity, a principal drawback of this approach is the weight of the extension shaft, gears, and related hardware. Lightweight portable basketball systems are preferable because they are more convenient and less expensive to ship, to position after assembly, and to store than heavier systems.
Telescoping poles of various designs have the advantage of permitting changes in the total height of the basketball system. Unlike U-bolt or other systems which employ a pole of fixed length, in a telescoping pole system the length of the pole decreases as the backboard moves down toward the playing surface. Thus, it may be possible to position a telescoping pole basketball system inside a garage or shed for indoor play during inclement weather.
Another approach to facilitating height adjustment positions a parallelogram-shaped structure between the backboard and the pole. Such an approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,904 issued to Nye. Use of the parallelogram structure is preferable to the U-bolt and set bolt approaches described above, because there are no threads to damage and little risk of marring the pole finish. There are also no loose retaining pins to be lost.
However, the parallelogram structure contains several interacting braces which add to the manufacturing cost, weight, and complexity of the basketball system. As noted, the parallelogram approach, unlike the telescoping pole approach, also fails to decrease the height of the overall basketball system as the backboard is lowered.
Thus, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a mechanically simple height-adjustable basketball standard for use in a basketball system.
It would be a further advancement in the art to provide such a basketball standard wherein the height adjustment mechanism does not add substantially to the total weight of the system.
It would also be an advancement in the art to provide such a basketball standard which does not require the use of a wrench or other additional tool for height adjustment.
It would be a related advancement to provide such a basketball standard which does not involve threads exposed to potential damage or rust.
It would be a further advancement to provide such a basketball standard which allows adjustment of the total height of the system.
Such a height-adjustable basketball standard is disclosed and claimed herein.